Formal Front Room....

So even though this room isn't complete yet, it sure has come a long, LONG way!

Before...

After...

We ripped out the black tiles, tore down the rinky-dinky mantle, filled in the niche, Brett and my dad made the new mantle, and we hired somebody to lay the stone. I DID watch a youtube video on that but felt like we might as well hire a professional...which only cost us $350.

The cream picture frame resting against the fireplace will be hung above the mantle as soon as I get an amazing picture taken of my kids. A couple of months ago I was walking through Nordstroms and this insanely beautiful dress caught my eye. I checked the price tag. Yikes! But I kept dreaming and dreaming and dreaming about that dress. One day the thought popped in my head, "Run down to Nordstroms. There will be one dress left. It will be in Little Miss's size and it will be on clearance." So I did. And there it was. The only dress on the clearance rack. In Little Miss's size.

Amazing dress, right? Worthy of all kinds of dreaming about. The boys will be dressed in browns and mustard yellows and greens. Now I just need to find the perfect location. My goal is to get the picture taken in the next week or so.

More pictures...

And one more look at the room...

Are you in love with my long drapes that I made? I just have to give a huge THANK YOU to my little sis, Mindy. I called her and asked her to go to Rod Works (for all of you Arizonians we are getting a Rod Works in Gilbert in a few months!!!!) to pick out the finials/tie backs for me and mail them to me. I told her I wasn't picky and she laughed. Oh the pressure! But they are PERFECT and I LOVE them! Absolutely LOVE them. I still need to make roman shades for the 3 windows above the couch...but I need another sewing weekend with Cyndi. Another weekend of living in our pj's, laughing til our sides hurt, talking until the wee hours of the morning, and endless hours of sewing fun! Not only do I need to make those shades, but the drapes for the dining area, a roman shade for the window by the sink, drapes for the master....ack! I might need a FEW sewing weekends!

Happy and Healthy....

Today marks the start of something new.

I've done some "Biggest Loser" competitions before and always ended them feeling more and more frustrated each time. Frustrated at other peoples success (in weight loss) and little results for myself. Yet I knew my effort and dedication, I knew how disciplined I'd been, which sometimes even made it harder for myself.

But this "competition" is different. You get points for your efforts, not for results. Whew! What a relief. No pressure. Right? Just do your best!

You can earn a max of 10 points each day. To earn a point you:

1. Drink at least 64 ounces of water.

2. 30 minutes of exercise.

3. No soda or alcohol.

4. No sugar, fast food, unhealthy snacks (like chips, etc).

5. Eat 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables.

6. No eating after 7:00 pm.

7. Read something uplifting for 15 minutes.

8. Write in your journal (or your blog).

9. Express specific love, appreciation, or praise.

10. Work on a personal goal.

Okay, I LOVE it! My life will NOT revolve around endless workouts and the thoughts of "I can't eat that or that or that." There's just the recognition and awareness that, yes, exercise and eating healthy will bring more health and happiness. That there is a whole lot more to life than just that. That making time to read something uplifting every day brings you closer to the Spirit and makes you feel better about yourself. That taking time to write in your journal and reflect on your blessings (hopefully my posts don't get too boring) is important. Taking the time to truly give praise and appreciation from my heart will bring stronger relationships. And working on a personal goal...each day! Now THAT sounds fabulous! Taking time for myself to do something that I WANT to do everyday. Something for me on top of cooking and running kids around and cleaning and laundry. Something to look forward to. Working on something I want to work on or something that will better who I am. Yes, please!

A lot of this program I already do every day...or most every day. But it feels good to have a program to stick to...to challenge me. So here's to health and happiness! Yay!

House pictures....

WHAT? Y'all are pressuring me to get things done around here :) I mean, I WANT to take pictures and I WANT to have my house done and decorated. But that's going to take awhile. I mean, I can't just take pictures of my house, as is. Can I? Not when I still need to pick out an entertainment center...because our tv is currently being housed on the top of my coffee table. Not when I have so many ideas stirring in my head and loads of curtains to be sewn. Not when I still have boxes stacked in corners and endless windows to wash.

But my entryway...now that's another story. It's looking pretty darn good.

Let's take a quick look back. Before:

Ripping it out:

After:

Don't you LOVE my chandelier and beadboard ceilings? I do. {sigh}

Hopefully in a few days I'll be able to show you some pictures of the formal front room, which is nearing partial completement (is that even a word?). Completion. That's the word. Partial completion. Yes? Hopefully I'll get the drapes on the big windows hung sometime soon...then I still want to make roman shades for the smaller windows. But I promise I'll take pictures once the long drapes are hung. Thank goodness for an overnight sewing getaway with one of my dearest friends, Cyndi...but maybe I'll save that story for my next post :) I already need ANOTHER sewing weekend.

A little Moose spotlight....

I got an e-mail yesterday from the Primary President (she is in charge of the children's program ages 18 months until they turn 12 at church) in our new ward, letting me know that she'd like to spotlight Moose at church on Sunday. So I decided I'd try, as nonchalantly as possible, to ask him his current favorite color, food, etc...because it seems like his favorites constantly change. Well, some of them, at least. So, here they are...

Favorite color: Turquoise

Favorite food: Mom's tacos or Some Burro's

Favorite treat: anything chocolate

Favorite place to visit: Utah (to play with cousins)

Favorite things to do: play board games, soccer, basekball (which is basketball, still not really sure how he can't get THAT right), play the wii, kiss my mom (make my heart melt)

So when daddy took Chubs to go and drop Bear and Little Miss off for their choir practice, I stayed home to play board games with Moose. We played Guesstures...he won. We played Sequence....I won. We went out to shoot hoops and forgot that all of our balls are in our next door neighbors yard. So instead we went and met Daddy and Chubs at Some Burro's for dinner. Moose, hopefully you'll forgive me for loosing my cool with you over the whole dishwasher unloading escapade. I really do adore spending time with you! Love you!!!

PS Moose, when you told me you want to drive a turquoise mini-van when you grow up....well, let's just say that hopefully someday soon you'll change your mind about that one. :)

Growing pains....

Last night I was sifting through old pictures of the kids, trying to round up some of my favorite pictures to have printed for our new photo wall - which will be on the wall going up the stairs. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. My kids are growing up. FAST! Where did my round-faced baby boy go? He's looking more and more grown up everyday. And it's like a little tug of war inside myself. Part of me wants to keep them small forever...but the older they get - well, that's fun, too! It's different.

And there's that part of me, too, that is hoping that as they get older, they will become more responsible and need less nagging from me. Then maybe my afternoon's won't be so much like my afternoon yesterday. "Hey So-And-So, the dishwasher is clean. That's your job this week. Will you please come and unload it?" While helping another child with homework (which this new school has an insane amount of homework for first grade. WHAT?), I notice "So-And-So" rolling around on the floor, tormenting anyone who comes in walking distance. 30 minutes later. "Hey So-And-So, that dishwasher is still waiting for you!" An hour later, "Bud, can you please unload the dishwasher?" 30 minutes later. "Um, So-And-So if the dishwasher is not emptied in 15 minutes, you'll have to head to bed as soon as it's completed. This is starting to get ridiculous."

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

The huffing and puffing and the dish banging begins. Oh and don't forget the cupboard slamming. It just wouldn't be complete without the cupboard slamming. And then we start the whole "for each cupboard slam or dish banging or grumble it will be 10 minutes earlier to bed for you" thing. At this point, I want to lose it. Sometimes I keep it all together. Sometimes I don't. Yesterday happened to be the latter.

Tell me it will end someday. Tell me it's true. Please....

Hmmmm....let's see. About a month and a half ago, on Civil Rights Day, we headed to the zoo, with the rest of the state of Arizona, and I noticed that this handsome little man...

did a double-take as an adorable girl his age walked by. No, he's not checking her out through the telescope, but it was cute to see. I smiled to myself as I realized he thought she was just as cute as I did. Of course, I didn't tease him about it. That would've made him mad. But, yes, he's growing up, too.

I'd like to say the whole switching school thing has been an easy transition...but it hasn't. And I knew that I'd get the comments like "Mom, can we PLEASE go back to the other school?" or "My teacher isn't NEARLY as cool as my last teacher" or "Nobody will play with me at recess and I just want to be with my old friends". And it makes me sad, because I remember having those same feelings when I moved. I keep hoping that each day will get easier and easier, but it hasn't happened yet. So at dinner the other night, we talked about Elder Dieter F Uchtdorf's talk from the March Ensign titled "Looking For The Good". It's a good one. You should read it. I particularly like this part:

We have a choice. We can seek for the bad in others. Or we can make peace and work to extend to others the understanding, fairness, and forgiveness we so desperately desire for ourselves. It is our choice; for whatever we seek, that we will certainly find.

And since I have a few more pictures from our outing to the zoo, I might as well share them now. Here's to growing :)

As we were walking away from the Baboon, or Mandrill, exhibit. Bear said, "I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have nightmares about their bums!" Ha ha ha!

My heart seems to be constantly full of prayer for this sweet little girl of mine. She seems to be struggling the worst at school with the whole transition and it really is breaking my heart. She said that most of the time she plays by herself at recess, unless her teacher comes out to play with her. Apparently the little girl sitting next to her in class has decided she doesn't like my Little Miss and has told other girls not to be her friend. It's time to spend some time helping in the classroom.

Shoes...

I don't really understand how Little Miss is SO HARD on her shoes. I mean, look at these shoes...

They are two months old. Two months. And it's not like she wears these shoes everyday. She wears tennis shoes to school on PE day. Does she fill them with weights and drag them along the pavement? I look at them...and it just boggles my mind. I just don't understand how they can be ruined so quickly. She has even worn through the toes on REAL LEATHER COWBOY BOOTS. Is that even possible?!?! Apparently it is.

So, do I give her these? Or take them back?

The worst she could do it rub her toes off, right?

Today....

Today I felt a little happy AND a little sad when I dropped Chubs off at preschool. As we pulled up, he said, "You stay here. I go by myself." "Um, okay," I replied as he hopped out of the car and ran inside. Happy that he's becoming more independent yet sad that he doesn't need me so much anymore. My baby is growing up!

Today I felt frustrated as I stopped by our old house to get some more things and realized JUST how much STUFF we have left over there....and this house is basically full. Ugh.

Today I felt a little lonely as I grocery shopped without my little helper. I seriously LOVE hanging out with my little man. He makes me laugh!

Today a huge smile spread across my face as I picked Bear up for a lunch date. I LOVE standing by the front desk, watching one of my children walking towards me with a smile that matches my own.

Today I felt relaxed as we sat outside Subway. The birds were chirping, the water gurgled in the fountain beside us, the sun was shining...it was beautiful!

Today I laughed when I picked the kids up from school. It's "Dr. Seuss Week" at school this week. And apparently Moose thought he NEEDED to spend his hard earned money on a "Cat in the Hat" hat. This, my friends, is a Moose in the Hat....

Today I was angry when Little Miss told me about some girls at school who are mean to her and make up lies about her. Sometimes I just want to march on to the playground and do a little punching. I mean parenting. I'm not saying punching is parenting. I'm just saying that I don't really like mean people.

Today I loved watching the leaves growing on the trees of our tree-lined streets. It's starting to warm up around here...and it makes me happy!

Today I cried when I got an e-mail from a photographer that had attended one of our photography workshops, to tell me that her 17 year old daughter had unexpectedly passed away. I cannot understand the depth of that pain. I honestly hope that I never have to feel that.

And so now today, my heart is filled with prayer for Holly, a photographer in Utah, and her family...and maybe you could spare a prayer for her, too.

Coolest Design...slowest car....

Maybe that's how we'll remember Moose's very first Pinewood Derby.

Okay, so I'm lying. He didn't have the slowest car there. He was probably more in the middle, but that is NOT how the Brimhall family does Pinewood Derby. Normally, we spend a week or so, deciding exactly what shape to cut. Then hours are spent painting coat after coat after coat and then doing coat after coat of that clear shiny stuff. We buff the wheels and sand the axles and make sure the weight is evenly distributed. We do a pretty decent job. Bear has taken second and third OVERALL, almost always winning first in his den. Decent, right?

This year we went to Michael's.

We found out about the derby just 6 days before it was to take place. What? 6 days? Which box is our graphite in? Which box are our paints and brushes in? When will we find time to design and cut the car? Oh yes, and which box is our phone in? (still can't seem to find that one). Too bad nobody knows that we have a ton of things going on - baby showers, birthday parties, cousins baptisms, playdates, family dinners...oh and an overnight getaway planned for just me and the Hubbers. 6 days just ain't gonna cut it.

So we walked into Michael's, grabbed a box of supplies off of the shelf, ran home, whipped it together, slapped the wheels on, and decided it was good enough. Brett and I just sat on the sidelines, praying that Moose wouldn't be disappointed. That his car wouldn't fall apart on it's first run down the track and that he'd win at least one heat.

Then they announced that four cars would race at a time. The winner could be proud that they won that heat. The three that didn't win, could choose a piece of candy from the bowl...chocolate to be exact. Whew! A huge sigh of relief from this momma. Thankfully, Moose is a chocolate LOVER and I think he might've prayed to NOT win so that he could get something yummy.

First heat - he chose plain M&M's.

Second heat - peanut M&M's.

Third heat - plain M&M's again.

Fourth heat - winner....dang! No chocolate.

And when the night was done, with remnants of a Twinkie car spread across his face...he was happy! Happy to have the car voted "Coolest Design" and happy to have some chocolate in his pocket. Awww...look. I'm a poet.

Apparently, Michael's has some pretty awesome looking kits because his car actually looked pretty cool...

And I kinda just want to reach into this next picture and smooch on his cheeks for a bit... (yes, I did run to the scout store just BEFORE the derby to buy a new uniform - seriously, I should've labeled the boxes)

We are also used to a track that is about HALF the length of this one...which is something to keep in mind for next year :)

He's starting to load up on chocolate...

Happy 1st Pinewood Derby, bud! Love you to pieces!!!

Bradyn's Baby Blessing....

3 weeks ago, Brett was privileged to be able to perform Bradyn's baby blessing. It almost felt a bit surreal, pulling into Brett's parents neighborhood, driving around the corner, to find their house with cars lining the street and driveways...it was like a little flashback to the good ole days. The days where Brett's mom was always planning and hosting family gatherings and delicious meals. Sunday dinners were more like mini-Thanksgivings. I can't believe she's been gone for three years now. We miss her every single day!

I tried and tried to crack a smile out of her, but she would have nothing to do with it. I made all kinds of obnoxious noises and even begged her, "Bradyn, please smile. C'mon! Smile at me or I'll take away that gorgeous bow I got you." Okay, not really...but this was all I got.

Crazy Hair Day....

Little Miss was excited to be able to sport some crazy hair on the same day that the first graders were to perform their RAP that they have been practicing like crazy for the assembly today. We started discussing some different ideas for "crazy hair". All of my ideas were apparently a BIT TOO CRAZY for her liking, so we settled on a not-so-crazy, crazy hair-do. I told her to give me a "crazy" look to go with her "crazy" hair...

Mmmmmkay...not so crazy. That's all right. Moose decided he would just sport some bedhead (okay, do you see all of the treats/flowers on the counter...along with a big mess of mine...we've been bombarded with treats from our new neighbors and I think I've already gained a few pounds)...

Her toothless grin is almost gone. I kinda want to cry...

But I was finally able to talk Moose into some spiky craziness. His hair is the best when we go to the lake, it gets wet, and then the boat takes off and his hair gets dried into a huge poofball. It's awesome!

There was no talking Bear into anything crazy. He went with his bedhead look...which never really looks that bad because his hair automatically parts on the side. Notice anything new about Bear? Apparently he inherited MY vision and not his fathers...but another story on that later.

I headed down to school just in time to get a good seat right in the middle of the gym to watch Little Miss perform. Seriously, so stinkin' cute! She held eye contact with me the whole time, shaking her shoulders up and down, paired with a huge grin pasted across her face. Man I love her and her get-down-groovy skills! She can dance like her momma! :)

It was really great to be able to walk into the school today and be greeted by name by the ladies at the front desk. And then to see the school spirit at the assembly. I know it's a bit cheezy, but I totally got the goose bumps a few times listening to the principal praise the children for their hard work and character and to hear the children chanting about how proud they are to be Gators. Super awesome!

Nolan, 9 days old....{Mesa, Arizona Newborn Photographer}

Such a sweet, sweet baby with perfect skin and beautiful lips!

It was fun chatting with the dad about being a firefighter for the City of Mesa. My dad had the same job...and retired after many years of service.

I LOVE pictures of momma's with their brand new babies. Maybe it makes me sentimental about my own babies. I don't know. But there is something really beautiful about capturing a mother soaking in the sweetness of her brand new baby!

And after loads of sleepy, curly newborn shots, Mr. Nolan decided it was time to be awake. What a handsome, handsome little man!